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A longtime Pacific Palisade residents who escape by bike, who have been seen by many people around the world, explained on Monday that he escaped with only artwork among all his belongings.
François Aurou left his home as flames from a devastating wildfire reached his backyard in January. As he stood in front of the bike house with two artworks, Aurou realized there was no way he could safely make it.
Luckily, NBCLA’s Robert Kovacik was there.
“Is there anything we can do to help you?” the reporter asked.
“I think I can take these pictures,” Aurou replied.
After a moment of fate against the red sky, Aurou managed to reclaim the painting from Kobasik, but his family home for 30 years was destroyed and he lost almost everything in the fire.
Aurou also recalled the “terrifying” escape in an interview with Live Monday in California, and said he decided to grab a screen print of Greek artist Arecos Facianos and artwork by maritime artist Howard Schafer as “unconsciously.”
The Palisades Fire Evacuee said his grandfather had met Facianos in Paris. And because Facyanos was a prolific Greek artist, many people in Greece saw what happened, Aurou said.
“Facianos’ daughter reached out to me. So many people all over the world have reached out to me,” he said.
Aurou also said that in honor of his grandfather he saved the yacht painting by Schafer.
“My grandfather was a Commodore, a lot of yacht clubs, naval men, and maritime art lovers. And this was the piece he told us when he died.”
Auroux added that it would be “surreal” to reclaim paintings from the NBCLA reporter in a few weeks.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but it was great to see Robert Kovasic again and really talk about the whole experience,” Aurou explained.
He said he and his family are now trying to rebuild his home while they hope to restore the Palisade community in the Pacific.
“I know it will take years, but just put one foot in front of the other.”
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